Sunshine and Posies
by DeansAngelMisuse
Summary: Axel/Roxas Oneshot: When Sora comes months after a loss to visit and comfort Axel, he discovers that Axel has been hiding a horrifying secret. Collaboration with Alyssa. (ForeverGamer)


A tall, thin man opened the curtain to allow the golden rays from the sun to fill the room, the corners of his lips lifting up into a small smile. The man, called Axel, turned to the young man lying in the bed, beneath the soft duvet. With a gentle click of his tongue, he shook his head.

"Now, Roxas, I know that you can't talk to me anymore since the accident, but it really is a beautiful morning. Why don't we go have breakfast out on the back patio?"

A soft sigh escaped Roxas' lips as he remained motionless, eyes fixed on the ceiling, but it were almost as if he was looking off at a faraway object only he could see. He made no attempt to rise and join Axel on his proposal. Upon no reaction, Axel frowned before gingerly pressing his lips to Roxas' temple.

"If you're still tired, Roxy-poo, I can carry you outside myself. I know that your medicine has been draining you lately, but the doctor's say that if you don't take the medicine, your neck will grow stiff." He said his tone soft and worried, like that of a concerned mother. The taller man leaned down, brushing aside a stray medicine bottle with indistinct markings before carefully lifting Roxas and carrying him to the patio, setting him in one of the whicker lawn chairs. "See? Isn't that much better than lying in that stuffy room?" The only response was a limp slouch as Roxas stared at Axel. Axel turned on his heel and began to get breakfast prepared. Once finished, he brought them out two trays and sat on Roxas' lap before sitting in the chair to eat from his own tray.

"Roxas, I know you're quite fond of that new cologne, but in all honesty, I don't really like it. To me, it smells of rancid milk and moldy pears." He droned, eyebrows furrowed close together. Several minutes had passed in silence before Axel began to speak again. "It's okay if you're not very hungry right now. I know the medicine has caused you to lose your appetite. However, you don't eat as much as you used to and that's a little worrying. I'll make us a nice, hearty supper tonight and I want you to at least try to eat it. It's your favorite, if I recall correctly. After supper, we're having guests. Your brother's swinging by for a chat. You can stay upstairs in the bedroom and rest though if you're tired." To this, Roxas did not reply, but instead leaned to the side to rest his head on the table. Axel quietly finished his meal before putting Roxas' leftovers into the fridge.

As he closed the refrigerator door, he glanced up at the clock, taken by surprise at the time. It was nearly late afternoon and they still needed to freshen up before Sora arrived. Axel went upstairs to draw a bath for Roxas, carefully pouring in the miscellaneous salt and oils that were to help with Roxas' skin problems from the tragic accident several months prior. The past few months had been brutal for Axel. Since the accident, Roxas no longer talked like he used to and no longer was filled with curiosity and spark like he once possessed. His skin was laden with problems and his muscles were terribly weak. Axel was doing his best to cope and help Roxas, but his depression was only worsening. However, he would never dream of leaving Roxas' side. With a heavy inverted sigh, Axel returned to the patio to fetch Roxas, helping him upstairs and into his bath. Once he was relaxed in the warm bath, Axel began to sweep and dust, making the house look decent and welcoming for their guest. Sora hardly ever visited anymore, as he blamed himself for Roxas' accident. The clock ticked away the time, as Axel cleaned. Was Roxas out of the bath yet? Deciding to check on him, he headed upstairs.

"Oh, Roxas. Now's not the time to fall asleep. I know you're tired... Let's get you out and into some fresh clothes and then you can go back to bed. I'll visit with Sora while he's here." He said with a quick nod. Pulling on the gloves so as not to get the medicine on his own skin, he lifted Roxas and began to dry him off. He changed him into some clean clothes before tucking him into bed to rest more. As he stood up, the doorbell rang loudly, the chime echoing through the large house. Spraying a bottle of air freshener to make the house smell nice, he rushed down the stairs.

"Hello, Sora!" He exclaimed upon opening the door and welcoming him inside.

"Good Evening, Axel. Are you doing alright? You look awful," Sora commented as he glanced around. "I haven't been here in a while. Forgot how the place looked." He said, nostalgic as he sat in a chair.

"I apologize for my appearance. I've been very busy lately, you see. Would you like some refreshments? I can brew a cup of tea for us." He offered, walking into the kitchen and closing the door behind him.

"That would be nice, thank you." Sora sighed, standing up and walking over to the mantle, picking up a photograph of Roxas and Axel laughing at the beach. As he was about to return the picture to its original spot, he was caught off guard by a foul stench. "Axel? Is everything alright?" He called out before trying to find the source. The closer he got to the stairs, the stronger the smell became. Curious, he slowly walked up the stairs, eyebrows knitted together in concentration. What could that scent possibly be from? It absolutely reeked. His small hand grabbed the handle of the master bedroom, turning the handle and opening the door with a soft click. The pungent smell causing him to gag before entering the room.

A few heartbeats later, a banshee-like scream echoed throughout the house. Dropping the cups of tea, Axel immediately rushed and stomped up the stairs. Sora was standing there, frozen in absolute terror as he saw his corpse of his brother lying upon the bed, carefully tucked in the sheets. The now decomposing body should have been peacefully resting underground in the cemetery, but instead was here in the bed before him.

Horrorstruck, Sora turned to look at Axel, who in turn, rubbed his arms sheepishly.

"What? Is it really that wrong, Sora? To have a corpse in my bed? I don't want to be alone, even if he is just skin and bone."


End file.
